Chapter 46 – Luka
T he garden was filled with bright flowers. Palms towered in the backdrop, silent sentinels swaying in the breeze. Tropical ground plants swayed and bowed. Their leaves spread like fans. But the cool kiss of air blew in from the sea.
Stepping off the final garden paver, I wiggled my bare feet in the sand. “This is going to make a mess.”
A tinkling laugh chimed in tune with the gentle crash of waves. My head snapped up, gaze cutting to the surf.
“Don’t be such a wimp, Cool Hand. A little sand never hurt anyone.” Stepping onto the hard packed sand, Sasha fisted the long, thick lengths of dark hair. Laughter played in her grey eyes. “You don’t have to look so shocked, beloved.”
Sand did not make for easy running. Not the dehydrated, loose kind. Still, I sprinted down the beach only to stop short in front of her. “Little muse?”
The menace reached up, snatched my nose, and pressed her thumb between her fingers. There was contact. Pressure. Touch . “You know what you have to do to get it back.”
Both hands shook as I cupped her cheeks between them. I closed the distance and covered her mouth with mine. The feeling was achingly familiar. I tasted salt on her lips. I felt the warmth of her skin.
Running my fingers through her damp hair, I pulled back. “I’m finally dead, aren’t I?”
Sasha snorted. “Not quite, monster. But this is the closest you’ve come, despite your best efforts.”
Her palm snaked out and slapped me hard.
My head whipped to the side, but then I turned back, eyes narrowed. “Ouch.”
She did it again.
I caught her wrists in mine. “What the hell, menace?!”
“You were so fucking reckless, Cool Hand!” Fire blazed in her eyes, creating a veritable storm. “Do you know how hellish it is? Watching you purposely rush into danger time and time again?”
“Sasha—”
“Don’t you Sasha me!” She stomped her foot. “Yes, you promised Kolya that you wouldn’t shoot yourself—thank you for that. But everything else? They need you, Luka! You matter. To your family. To her! ”
Her—Vivian.
“Oh, saints, you have to hate me.”
Sasha’s brows scrunched. “For falling in love? Hell no! You were supposed to, Luka. What about this don’t you get? It was my time, but not yours.”
I contemplated that. “So what? Life is predestined?”
Throwing her head back, Sasha let out a groan. “The secrets of the universe aren’t known to man, so stop looking in their dusty tomes and live your fucking life. You have to quit with the philosophy, you idiot.”
That fond term sent my heart clenching tight. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I know, beloved. But it’s not time yet. You have to go back. Our chapters are done. You still have ones to write with her. When that story is over, then—” Sasha lifted her hands “—we write the sequel!”
“A…sequel?”
Sasha nodded eagerly. “Although, during that adventure, you’ll need to be careful, Cool Hand. I might just steal her from you when you two join me in the afterlife.”
I frowned.
“I’m kidding!” Sasha threw her head back. Laughter bubbled from her throat, light and gleeful. “Saints, you’re too fun to tease. But in all seriousness, Vivian and I are going to get along really well, if you know what I mean.” She tossed me a wink. “I have a good feeling that story will be a ménage.”
Sasha shimmied her body, the sunlight making the drops of saltwater sparkle on her pale skin. “Can you see it, Luka? Us girls, your wives, enjoying you…and each other.”
I groaned. “Menace.”
“Monster.”
“I love you,” I whispered.
“And I you.”
Thunder cracked in the distance. I tightened my grip instinctively around her slight shoulders. Clouds rolled along the horizon where it kissed the sea.
“It’s time for you to go,” Sasha murmured.
The next clap reverberated in my bones. One foot in the grave and one back in the world of the living. I was a man split, torn like the sky when lightning rent it asunder.
“You’re coming back someday. So go,” Sasha insisted, her words accompanied by a boom of the air.
I opened my mouth, but she pushed my chin up. Her hand slid down my arm. We walked hand in hand up the beach.
Stopping before the first paver, Sasha gave my hand a squeeze. “This is where I leave you.”
How did I say goodbye? I hadn’t had the chance before, when the bullets took her from me.
“It’s not goodbye,” Sasha answered my unspoken thought.
“It’s see you later,” I breathed.
Swooping down, I pressed my lips to hers. They were so warm, so real. That was the parting that we never had before. The kiss was gentle. Perfect. A promise of more.
When we broke apart, Sasha pulled our joined hands to her chest, placing my palm over her beating heart. “I’m not leaving you, Luka. You’re right here.”
One beat. Two beats. Three.
Sasha pulled my wrist, bringing our hands to my heart. This time, she placed her palm over mine. I clutched her wrist.
“And I’m right here,” she finished.
A beat thumped. One. Two. Three beats.
Thunder explosions rippled through the sky, an insistent staccato.
“They kickstarted your heart, monster. Time to go.” Sasha pointed to the paver.
I obeyed.
The moment my foot made contact with the stone, the world around me grew darker as the storm raced in from the depths of the sea.
“Oh, Cool Hand, one more thing.” Sasha reached out, leaning over, but not touching the paver. “You forgot your nose.”
And then, she booped me.
“There, handsome as ever.” Her smile was full of love. “Now go.”
I went, looking over my shoulder until the foliage of the tropical garden swallowed her bright, smiling image.